In fact, in a statement released on Thursday morning, they said that it was a welcome development as it will make flying affordable for an ever increasing proportion of the South African population and grow the size of the market.

“Of course we will continue to build our own loyal customer base by providing safe, reliable air travel to many destinations with quality schedules and great service at affordable fares,” Dave Andrew, FlySafair CEO said.

“Of course we will continue to build our own loyal customer base by providing safe, reliable air travel to many destinations with quality schedules and great service at affordable fares,” Dave Andrew, FlySafair CEO said.

“We will continue to grow thoughtfully, adding aircraft to increase our route and schedule choices over the next year. For us, it’s not about how fast we can grow, but rather about creating a consistent, enjoyable and reliable flying experience at sustainably low average fares.”The airline also reported a very successful entry into the market, since launching in October 2014, and that their ticket sales over the festive season exceeded expectations.

FlySafair currently operates between Cape Town and Johannesburg, as well as between these two cities and Port Elizabeth and George.